Donna Ann Lass (25), born on November 3rd 1944 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was the youngest of eight children who spent her formative years in Beresford, attending Beresford High School and eventually graduating as a registered nurse in 1965. She worked as a private nurse prior to traveling to San Francisco and setting up residence in Balboa Street, before commencing her duties as a Staff Nurse at the Letterman General Hospital in the Presidio. However, her employment at the Letterman General Hospital was short-lived, spanning February 1970 to May 1970, before she took a job at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel and Casino on June 6th 1970. She initially moved in with a couple, Larry and Ann Lowe, before renting her own apartment at 3893 Pioneer Trail at the beginning of September. Six days later she would go missing.
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The connection of Lawrence Kane to Donna Lass, claimed by retired law enforcement officer Harvey Hines, we are familiar with. Lawrence Kane, it was claimed, lived at 217 Eddy Street at the time of the Paul Stine murder. This location is less than a quarter of a mile from the Mason and Geary intersection, the presumed pick-up point of Zodiac on October 11th 1969. Donna Lass moved to Lake Tahoe in June 1970, as did Lawrence Kane, with both ending up working at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel. However, this is not about Lawrence Kane, it is about the connection between Donna Lass and the hotly disputed Pines card mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle on March 22nd 1971, the first anniversary of the Modesto abduction of Kathleen Johns.
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This card is regarded a hoax by many Zodiac investigators, particularly puzzling, because it states on the card in pasted lettering "Sought victim 12". This tally of likely only eleven victims and searching for a 12th, is totally out of sync with the rest of Zodiac's correspondence. He had already claimed 12 victims as far back as June 26th 1970 when the Button letter was mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle, along with 13 victims, ranging to 17+ victims, by the time the Los Angeles letter arrived on March 13th 1971. Then, nine days later the Pines card surfaces, searching for 12 victims. The problem we have, is that even a half-decent hoaxer, who knew only the bare minimum about the case, is unlikely to have bypassed at least five pieces of correspondence and the multitude of newspaper articles. This person would have to be the worst hoaxer this side of Lake Tahoe, unless of course, it was the killer and the "sought victim 12" had particular significance. The word 'sought' may be suggestive of a killer that had previously targeted Donna Lass at an earlier time.

The question is, was Donna Lass targeted specifically by somebody with a grievance, or by a male who had been rejected or "brushed off" as the Confession letter might say? She did after all go missing from her place of work.
The date and content of the Pines card may indicate this very notion. If we look at the Zodiac timeline and slot this card in where it should belong, it would have to come after 11 victims and before 12. ​The 13-Symbol cipher or 'My Name is' cipher was mailed on April 20th 1970 claiming 10 victims, followed by the Button letter on June 26th 1970 claiming 12 victims. Assuming the Pines card was not a mistake by a forger and actually crafted by the Zodiac Killer, it is logical that its meaning must be referring to the time period between April 20th 1970 and June 26th 1970, before victim 12 was confirmed. A newspaper article after the disappearance of Donna Lass stated that "the site depicted on the 'Pines Card' was from an advertisement published last Sunday by several newspapers. It was an artist's rendition of houses among the trees at a Boise Cascade Company project at Incline Village, where construction has just begun on the development. While much of the Sierra area is under several feet of snow, Incline Village has only two feet on the ground. Police went to the area to determine if a search is possible". ​Chief Lauritzen added "There's no point to a search at this time. It's unlikely a victim would be uncovered before spring". So its clear that this particular postcard was not designed prior to September 6th 1970, but sometime in the March of 1971. 
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Donna Lass' date of employment by the Sahara Tahoe Hotel and Casino fell in between the dates of April 20th 1970 and June 26th 1970 - she started work on June 6th 1970. The Zodiac Killer may have been targeting Donna Lass when she announced her forthcoming plans to move to South Lake Tahoe. Was he connected to the Letterman General Hospital - the direction he may have been heading after the murder of Paul Stine on October 11th 1969? Was he rejected by Donna Lass as an undesirable suitor, or was it simply time to do his 'thing'? Donna Lass, either by necessity or the lure of a better job, prepares her move to South Lake Tahoe and the Zodiac Killer's plans are thwarted.

If the murderer of Donna Lass is the Zodiac Killer (and this is by no means certain), then there is a connection between San Francisco and South Lake Tahoe. There may also be a connection between "sought victim 12" and the time between April 20th 1970 and June 26th 1970 with respect to the Donna Lass move to Nevada on June 6th 1970, to begin her job at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel. If and when the Zodiac Killer decided to make good on his intention to abduct and murder Donna Lass, he would eventually travel to South Lake Tahoe to finalize what he began, then mail the Pines card, pasting the words "sought victim 12", possibly suggestive of a killer who had targeted the young woman several months ago when she lived in San Francisco.   

The Zodiac Killer began his series of crimes with the double murder of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen on December 20th 1968, followed by the Blue Rock Springs attack on July 4th 1969, killing Darlene Ferrin and seriously injuring Michael Mageau. The killer confirmed these murders with details provided in three letters he sent to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner and Vallejo Times-Herald on July 31st 1969. His next attack would be in the remote region of Lake Berryessa on Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard, but despite no detailed reference to this crime in any of his subsequent correspondence, he wasted no time laying claim to the lakeside attack, writing on Bryan Hartnell's car door within minutes of the crime. His final confirmed murder was that of Paul Stine at Presidio Heights on October 11th 1969, only fourteen days after the Lake Berryessa attack.

One cannot help thinking his focus had turned quickly after his third attack, straight into the planning phase of the Presidio Heights murder, after all, his dramatic costume driven attack and the recollection of surviving witness Bryan Hartnell, had given him all the publicity he could have wished for. Again, after the Presidio Heights murder he wasted no time in contacting the newspapers, writing to the San Francisco Chronicle only two days later. In other words, his first letter immediately after three of the crimes, laid claim to each one of them, with the exception of Lake Berryessa. However, he still laid claim to it, in the form of written communication on the car door. Therefore, although questioned as a Zodiac crime, it made perfect sense to analyze his immediate correspondence after the Modesto abduction of Kathleen Johns and see if this cryptic letter in any way suggested a link to it.

This letter contained the 13-Symbol cipher, mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle on April 20th 1970, just one month after the Kathleen Johns incident on March 22nd 1970.  

Technically, a full moon is really only full for an instant in time. As we approach a full moon it is said to be waxing and as it diminishes it is said to be waning. A Waxing Gibbous denotes 95% illumination approaching a full moon and a Waning Gibbous denotes 95% illumination as we leave the full moon, thereby everything in between can be regarded as varying degrees of a full moon. 

Therefore, in the calendar above there is one full moon phase in Aries, before the Zodiac sign of Taurus takes over on April 20th, 21st and 22nd. This may explain the 3 to 1 configuration present on the 13-Symbol cipher. We now have seven dates of relevance, March 22nd 1970, April 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd, July 24th 1970 (Johns letter) and March 22nd 1971 (Pines card), but whether any significance can be attributed, remains questionable.

It has often been speculated upon, that four of the symbols in this cipher may be interpreted as three circled Taurus symbols (shown in red) and one inverted Aries symbol (shown in blue). But how could these four symbols in any way connect to the Kathleen Johns abduction. The following observation will not claim a solution, just a line of thought to be considered for discussion.

In this letter the Zodiac Killer claimed to have "killed ten people to date". Had he murdered Kathleen Johns and her infant daughter, Jennifer, this total would have read 12.
Kathleen Johns was abducted on March 22nd 1970 and on the following anniversary of this crime, March 22nd 1971, the Pines card was received at the San Francisco Chronicle, claiming to have 'Sought victim 12'.

There are four crucial dates at play here. March 22nd, detailed twice above, April 20th 1970 (the mailing date of the 13-Symbol cipher} and July 24th 1970 (the date of the correspondence the Zodiac Killer mailed, claiming responsibility for the abduction of Kathleen Johns). Bearing in mind the Zodiac horoscope signs, possibly present on the 13-Symbol cipher, were the dates on the Zodiac calendar in any way relevant to these events.

Firstly, April 20th (the 13-Symbol cipher date) is the beginning of Taurus on the Zodiac calendar. The abduction of Kathleen Johns on March 22nd 1970 is one day after the beginning of Aries on the Zodiac calendar. The Kathleen Johns letter on July 24th 1970 is one day after the beginning of Leo on the Zodiac calendar. Three horoscope dates, all within one day of the Zodiac Killer timeline. Four, if you include the Pines Card anniversary.
      
The 13-Symbol cipher was sent in the April of 1970 to the San Francisco Chronicle, so let us look at at the Moon phases and lunar calendar of San Francisco from the relevant time period. But before we do, it is important to note that the Zodiac Killer circled his three Taurus symbols, and the symbol for a full moon is a white circle. 

On the 22nd March 1971, a postcard landed at the offices of the San Francisco Chronicle, that has become widely known as the 'Pines' card. It was this correspondence in particular that caught the eye of police officer Harvey Hines, who after extensive investigative work became utterly convinced Lawrence Kane was the most likely candidate for the five Zodiac murders, committed from December 20th 1968 to October 11th 1969. Although the Zodiac Killer's reign of terror appeared brief, Harvey Hines was convinced that it may have been a lot longer, in that, where Lawrence Kane moved, murder would soon follow. He noticed certain locations and timelines that spiked his interest, placing Lawrence Kane to the forefront of his focus and started nigh on three decades of dedication to unearthing the truth. He provided a intriguing case against his suspect permeated by a solid case history, although it appears that much of it fell on deaf ears as Lawrence Kane was relegated to the fringe of the Zodiac suspect list.   

It was the hunt for missing nurse Donna Ann Lass that became a near obsession for Harvey Hines, becoming closely allied to the family members of the young 25-year-old as he searched undaunted for a break in the case. He has to be commended for his devotion in and out of police hours, when many others seemed to have lost hope.
The story began when the Zodiac Killer turned into the isolated turnout of Lake Herman Road on December 20th 1968 and appeared to have ended when the murderer exited the taxicab of Paul Stine on October 11th 1969 and disappeared, heading north into the darkness of Cherry Street towards the Presidio. But in fact the story was only just beginning.

After the murder of Paul Stine the killer headed towards the Julius Khan Playground, but whether he actually ended up there, as he alluded to in his October 13th 1969 letter to the San Francisco Chronicle, has been the topic of much debate. Donna Lass worked in the Presidio at the Letterman General Hospital and lived at 4122 Balboa Street, San Francisco. The murderer of Paul Stine, based on the taxicab meter reading, was believed to have flagged down the taxicab in the theater district, near the corner of Mason and Geary Street, and an area situated less than a quarter of a mile from the Lawrence Kane residence at 217 Eddy Street. For all these relevant locations, click here for Google Maps. 

But this may be about to change, due to the persistent work of Zodiac enthusiast Alex Lewis (Welsh Chappie), an avid member of the ZodiacKillerSite forum. On Monday April 7th 2014, after multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, he finally received the information he had been searching for. The United States Department of Justice sent him some valuable information regarding his prime suspect Lawrence Kane, including a full and complete arrest sheet, with a lot more besides. (See foot of page for two examples). Alex Lewis, as well as contributing to the popular ZodiacKillerSite forum, has dedicated many hours compiling extensive information on his favorite suspect Lawrence Kane. His comprehensive Wordpress site can be viewed here. These interesting findings have also generated a discussion thread on the ZodiacKillerSite forum; so to contribute your thoughts please visit the topic here.  htttp://www.zodiackillersite.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=1536.

Harvey Hines remained undeterred, when many others had given up hope - and even though the search for Donna Lass has hit many dead ends in the intervening years, the hope that was held by Harvey Hines still lives on.